Evaluación de la Biorremediación de metales pesados sobre lodos de relave contaminados utilizando Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Trichoderma harzianum

Abstract

In Ecuador, mining has caused an increase in environmental pollution due to the mismanagement of waste resulting from mining extraction, the waste called tailings sludge, is composed mostly of heavy metals that pollute the environment, generating serious environmental impacts due to the toxicity of the compounds. The present work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the bioremediation of heavy metals in mine tailings sludge using Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Trichoderma harzianum. The bioremediation capacity of the T1 treatments (mud + metals + Trichoderma harzianum) was evaluated in the trial; T2 (sludge + metals + Aspergillus niger); T3 (sludge + metals + Pseudomonas aeruginosa); T4 (sludge + metals + Trichoderma harzianum + Aspergillus niger + Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and against the control T0 (sludge + metals), applied to the tailing’s sludge three times a week and distributed in a DBCA experimental design. The statistical analysis was carried out using a generalized mixed model with the gamma and Tukey family at 5% and variables without significance were obtained between temperature and humidity, for the variables of pH and electrical conductivity with significance, so the use of microorganisms is an improvement alternative. The use of T. harzianum showed an improvement in Aluminum removal since the initial result was 1641 mg/kg and the final result was 1249 mg/kg, so the use of this microorganism is effective. A. niger obtained good results in Zinc removal presenting initial values of 4888 mg/kg and final values of 3319 mg/kg, P. aeruginosa obtained good results in copper removal presenting initial values of 3542 mg/kg and final values of 1059 mg/kg. The biomass of the microorganisms studied presented favorable values over all metals. Tailing’s sludge bioremediation is a profitable alternative since it is economical and friendly to the environment, helping to remove hazardous waste in large concentrations, solving environmental impact problems.